"All right, I understand your position," came from Kyle. "Just the same, I should like to play against them and give them a good drubbing."
The summer was now moving along swiftly. Each of the boys had more or less work to do, and one week Joe and Harry had to help at the store, their father being sick. During that time Fred took charge of the club and played a game at a place called Ravenwood, winning by the remarkable score of 22 to 11.
"I see you literally doubled up on the Ravenwoods," said Joe, when he heard the news. "Kind of a two-for-one arrangement. I'm glad to hear it."
"Those Ravenwood players were all good at the game," said Fred. "But the team work was miserable—hardly one player supported another."
"That proves what I have often said, Fred. It's the team work that counts. I think Si Voup has some good players, but just when you think they are going to get together and do something big they go to pieces."
"Si is bragging that he will surely win that third game," came from Link, who chanced to be present.
"Maybe he'll want the umpire to win it for him," put in Matt. "We don't want to play against ten men again."
There was a good deal of wrangling over the question of an umpire. Voup wanted one man and Joe wanted another. At last the matter was left to several well-known gentlemen and they procured a man from the city named Cabot, who had often umpired at college games. Cabot was the soul of honor and knew every rule and every trick of the game by heart.
During the summer Si Voup and several of his cohorts had grown remarkably sporty. They attended a number of horse races and frequently made bets on the results. Whenever he could get away from the mill Sidney Yates went with the crowd.
At one of these race meetings Voup ran across Dan Marcy. For a long time Marcy had kept away from Lakeport, fearful that he might be arrested for the stealing of the Sprite. To those whom he met he indignantly denied that he had had anything to do with the taking of the sloop.